NASA has assembled a 288-MP WFI camera for the Nancy Grace Roman space telescope, which will see 100 times more than Hubble

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has announced the completion of the Wide Field Instrument (WFI) camera for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. The observatory is scheduled to be launched in late spring 2027.

Here's What We Know

The camera is equipped with a 288 MP multispectral image sensor. It consists of 18 sensors. Each one has a resolution of 16.8 MP. The camera was assembled by the Ball Aerospace team in Colorado.

The WFI will capture large images of the sky in the infrared range. Thanks to the new camera Nancy Grace Roman will see 100 times more than the orbiting telescope Hubble. At the same time, the level of detail will be maintained.

Engineers are left to install cooling systems. The working temperature of the image sensors should be at -178 degrees Celsius. Without this, the space telescope won't be able to receive light from distant galaxies and stars. To dissipate and dissipate the heat, an array of heat sinks will need to be shut down.

Once the cooling system is completed, the telescope will undergo a series of thermal vacuum tests. These are scheduled for this summer. The WFI will then be integrated into the Nancy Grace Roman Space Observatory. This procedure is scheduled for the spring of 2024. NASA will send the Nancy Grace Roman into space in May 2027.

Source: NASA